This study investigated the role of the nuclear factor of activated T cells c3 (NFATc3) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) during aortic aneurysm and dissection (AAD) progression and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Cytoplasmic and nuclear NFATc3 levels were elevated in human and mouse AAD. VSMC-NFATc3 deletion reduced thoracic AAD (TAAD) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) progression in mice, contrary to VSMC-NFATc3 overexpression. VSMC-NFATc3 deletion reduced extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation and maintained the VSMC contractile phenotype. Nuclear NFATc3 targeted and transcriptionally upregulated matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and MMP2, promoting ECM degradation and AAD development. NFATc3 promoted VSMC phenotypic switching by binding to eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) and inhibiting its phosphorylation in the VSMC cytoplasm. Restoring eEF2 reversed the beneficial effects in VSMC-specific NFATc3-knockout mice. Cabamiquine-targets eEF2 and inhibits protein synthesis-inhibited AAD development and progression in VSMC-NFATc3-overexpressing mice. VSMC-NFATc3 promoted VSMC switch and ECM degradation while exacerbating AAD development, making it a novel potential therapeutic target for preventing and treating AAD.

Objective:To explore the characteristics of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) formation in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis and its effect on long-term prognosis.Methods:The clinical data of a cohort of patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis who visited Beijing Youan Hospital from May 2009 to August 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Enhanced CT examination was used as the standard for diagnosing PVT and its classification. Patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis without PVT at baseline were selected as the research subjects. According to whether PVT was formed during the follow-up period, they were divided into the PVT and control groups including 99 and 168 patients in the PVT and control groups with a follow-up time of 52.0 (46.7, 57.3) months. The changes in baseline and endpoint clinical indicators of the two groups were compared. Kaplan-Meier survival curve, log-rank test, and Cox regression were used to analyze the effect of PVT on prognosis.Results:In the PVT group, 28.28% (28/99) of patients underwent splenectomy, and 74.75% (74/99) did not receive anticoagulation therapy. The main portal vein thrombosis, portal vein branch thrombosis, and thrombosis in both groups accounted for 34.34% (34/99), 23.23% (23/99), and 15.15% (15/99), respectively. The splenic vein or superior mesenteric vein accounted for 27.27% (27/99). PVT was stable in 63.27% (63/99), progressed in 31.31% (31/99), and relieved in 5.05% (5/99) during the follow-up period. The white blood cell, hemoglobin, and platelet counts were all decreased in the PVT group compared with the baseline ( P<0.05). The international normalized ratio (INR) [1.28 (1.14, 1.39) vs. 1.33 (1.19, 1.46), P=0.041] and spleen length [(163.84±30.68) mm vs. (177.26±32.61) mm, P<0.001] was increased compared with the baseline. The proportion of gastroesophageal variceal bleeding was higher in the PVT group than in the control group (57.0% vs. 28.7%, P<0.001), and the constituent ratio of hepatic encephalopathy was not statistically significantly different ( P>0.05). The proportion of patients with ascites in the control group decreased (63.1% vs. 41.7%, P<0.001), while the proportion of patients with ascites in the PVT group was not statistically significantly different ( P>0.05). The incidence of composite clinical endpoint events in the PVT and the control group was 21.21% (21/99) and 4.17% (7/168), respectively ( P＜0.05). The incidence of composite clinical endpoint events in PVT patients without anticoagulation and anticoagulation treatment was 25.68% (19/74) and 8.00% (2/25), respectively ( P=0.062). Cox regression analysis found that PVT formation was an independent risk factor for liver-related adverse events in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis ( HR=9.36, 95% CI: 3.65～24.02, P=0.001). Conclusions:The presence of PVT in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis is assoliated with worse prognosis. The formation of PVT is closely related to the increased risk of liver-related adverse prognosis in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of acupuncture combined with moxibustion based on"Yuan-Luo Point Pairing"in treating insomnia related to cerebral infarction,and its effects on serum hypotha-lamic secretin-1(Hcrt-1),5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT),and slow wave EEG.Methods 120 patients with cerebral infarction related insomnia admitted to our hospital from July 2022 to July 2024 were selected as the research subjects.They were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group,with 60 cases in each group,using a random number table method.The control group was treated with routine western medicine,and the observation group was treated with acupuncture combined with moxibustion based on"Yuan-Luo Point Pairing"on the basis of the control group.Compared the clinical efficacy,TCM syndrome score,sleep quality,serum Hcrt-1 and 5-HT,EEG slow wave indicators,and treatment safety of two groups.Results The effective rate of observa-tion group was higher than control group(P<0.05).After treatment,the traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores of observation group were lower than control group(P<0.05),including timidity,palpitations,shortness of breath,lazy speech,and no complexion.After treatment,the sleep quality indicators of the observation group,including sleep latency and rapid eye movement sleep were lower than those of the control group,while the total sleep time and sleep efficiency were higher than group control(P<0.05).After treatment,the serum Hcrt-1 and 5-HT levels of observation group were lower than group control(P<0.05).the slow waves in EEG,including θ and δ waves of observation group had lower frequencies than the control group and higher amplitudes than control group(P<0.05).Conclusions Acupuncture combined with moxibustion based on"Yuan-Luo Point Pairing"has significant therapeutic effects on insomnia related to cerebral infarction.It can reduce traditional Chinese medicine syndromes,improve sleep quality,lower serum Hcrt-1 and 5-HT levels,improve slow wave state of EEG in patients,and has good treatment safety.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of acupuncture combined with moxibustion based on"Yuan-Luo Point Pairing"in treating insomnia related to cerebral infarction,and its effects on serum hypotha-lamic secretin-1(Hcrt-1),5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT),and slow wave EEG.Methods 120 patients with cerebral infarction related insomnia admitted to our hospital from July 2022 to July 2024 were selected as the research subjects.They were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group,with 60 cases in each group,using a random number table method.The control group was treated with routine western medicine,and the observation group was treated with acupuncture combined with moxibustion based on"Yuan-Luo Point Pairing"on the basis of the control group.Compared the clinical efficacy,TCM syndrome score,sleep quality,serum Hcrt-1 and 5-HT,EEG slow wave indicators,and treatment safety of two groups.Results The effective rate of observa-tion group was higher than control group(P<0.05).After treatment,the traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores of observation group were lower than control group(P<0.05),including timidity,palpitations,shortness of breath,lazy speech,and no complexion.After treatment,the sleep quality indicators of the observation group,including sleep latency and rapid eye movement sleep were lower than those of the control group,while the total sleep time and sleep efficiency were higher than group control(P<0.05).After treatment,the serum Hcrt-1 and 5-HT levels of observation group were lower than group control(P<0.05).the slow waves in EEG,including θ and δ waves of observation group had lower frequencies than the control group and higher amplitudes than control group(P<0.05).Conclusions Acupuncture combined with moxibustion based on"Yuan-Luo Point Pairing"has significant therapeutic effects on insomnia related to cerebral infarction.It can reduce traditional Chinese medicine syndromes,improve sleep quality,lower serum Hcrt-1 and 5-HT levels,improve slow wave state of EEG in patients,and has good treatment safety.

Objective:To explore the characteristics of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) formation in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis and its effect on long-term prognosis.Methods:The clinical data of a cohort of patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis who visited Beijing Youan Hospital from May 2009 to August 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Enhanced CT examination was used as the standard for diagnosing PVT and its classification. Patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis without PVT at baseline were selected as the research subjects. According to whether PVT was formed during the follow-up period, they were divided into the PVT and control groups including 99 and 168 patients in the PVT and control groups with a follow-up time of 52.0 (46.7, 57.3) months. The changes in baseline and endpoint clinical indicators of the two groups were compared. Kaplan-Meier survival curve, log-rank test, and Cox regression were used to analyze the effect of PVT on prognosis.Results:In the PVT group, 28.28% (28/99) of patients underwent splenectomy, and 74.75% (74/99) did not receive anticoagulation therapy. The main portal vein thrombosis, portal vein branch thrombosis, and thrombosis in both groups accounted for 34.34% (34/99), 23.23% (23/99), and 15.15% (15/99), respectively. The splenic vein or superior mesenteric vein accounted for 27.27% (27/99). PVT was stable in 63.27% (63/99), progressed in 31.31% (31/99), and relieved in 5.05% (5/99) during the follow-up period. The white blood cell, hemoglobin, and platelet counts were all decreased in the PVT group compared with the baseline ( P<0.05). The international normalized ratio (INR) [1.28 (1.14, 1.39) vs. 1.33 (1.19, 1.46), P=0.041] and spleen length [(163.84±30.68) mm vs. (177.26±32.61) mm, P<0.001] was increased compared with the baseline. The proportion of gastroesophageal variceal bleeding was higher in the PVT group than in the control group (57.0% vs. 28.7%, P<0.001), and the constituent ratio of hepatic encephalopathy was not statistically significantly different ( P>0.05). The proportion of patients with ascites in the control group decreased (63.1% vs. 41.7%, P<0.001), while the proportion of patients with ascites in the PVT group was not statistically significantly different ( P>0.05). The incidence of composite clinical endpoint events in the PVT and the control group was 21.21% (21/99) and 4.17% (7/168), respectively ( P＜0.05). The incidence of composite clinical endpoint events in PVT patients without anticoagulation and anticoagulation treatment was 25.68% (19/74) and 8.00% (2/25), respectively ( P=0.062). Cox regression analysis found that PVT formation was an independent risk factor for liver-related adverse events in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis ( HR=9.36, 95% CI: 3.65～24.02, P=0.001). Conclusions:The presence of PVT in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis is assoliated with worse prognosis. The formation of PVT is closely related to the increased risk of liver-related adverse prognosis in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis.

Objective:This study aimed to retrospectively analyze the clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with acute leukemia in the plateau.Methods:The clinical information of patients diagnosed with acute leukemia from February 2010 to April 2023 at the People's Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region was reviewed and collected, including blood cell count, morphology, immunophenotype, cytogenetics, and molecular data. Survival analysis was conducted to analyze the outcome of patients with acute leukemia.Results:This study enrolled 105 patients with acute leukemia, including 24 with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 62 with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and 19 with acute leukemia without baseline data. Of the patients with ALL, 11 underwent bone marrow testing for immunophenotype, all of whom were B-cell lineage. The main FAB subtype of patients with AML was M 2 (25/57), followed by M 3 (12/57), M 5 (6/57), M 4EO (5/57), M 1 (4/57), M 4 (4/57), and M 0 (1/57). The complete remission rates of patients with ALL, acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), and AML (non-APL) after one course of induction therapy were 57.1% (8/14), 100% (6/6), and 53.6% (15/28), respectively. The median event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) for patients with ALL were 2 (95% CI 0-9) and 3 (95% CI 0-9) months, respectively, with a median followup of 37 (95% CI 17-57) months. Patients with APL did not reach median EFS or OS, whereas the median EFS and OS for core binding factor AML (CBF-AML) cases were 10 (95% CI 0-21) months and 13 (95% CI 3-23) months, respectively, and patients with non-CBF-AML had inferior median EFS (2 months, 95% CI 1-3) and OS (2 months, 95% CI 1-3) ( P<0.01). Patients with ALL treated from 2020 to 2023 demonstrated trends toward better EFS ( P=0.16) and OS ( P=0.10) than those treated from 2010 to 2019. Similarly, trends toward superior EFS ( P=0.27) and OS ( P=0.12) were observed in patients with AML treated from 2016 to 2023, in comparison with those treated from 2010 to 2015. Conclusion:Progress in the treatment and prognosis of patients with acute leukemia in the plateau has been observed in recent years, which can be further promoted by precision diagnosis and tailored regimens.

Extrahepatic non-cirrhotic portal hypertension(NH-PH),a disease of portal hypertension repre-sented by extrahepatic non-cirrhotic portal vein thrombosis and budd-chiari syndrome,both of which are caused by splanchnic vein thrombosis and share a variety of common genetic susceptibility factors.The review summarized the research progress on genetic susceptibility to thrombotic NH-PH in recent decades,collating the reported genetic susceptibility genes and their mutation loci,as well as suggesting other potential gene tar-gets.The results of the study provided screening targets for subsequent large-sample validation in clinic,and delivered new ideas for the development of early diagnostic methods and pathogenesis of NH-PH.

Objective:This study aimed to retrospectively analyze the clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with acute leukemia in the plateau.Methods:The clinical information of patients diagnosed with acute leukemia from February 2010 to April 2023 at the People's Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region was reviewed and collected, including blood cell count, morphology, immunophenotype, cytogenetics, and molecular data. Survival analysis was conducted to analyze the outcome of patients with acute leukemia.Results:This study enrolled 105 patients with acute leukemia, including 24 with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 62 with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and 19 with acute leukemia without baseline data. Of the patients with ALL, 11 underwent bone marrow testing for immunophenotype, all of whom were B-cell lineage. The main FAB subtype of patients with AML was M 2 (25/57), followed by M 3 (12/57), M 5 (6/57), M 4EO (5/57), M 1 (4/57), M 4 (4/57), and M 0 (1/57). The complete remission rates of patients with ALL, acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), and AML (non-APL) after one course of induction therapy were 57.1% (8/14), 100% (6/6), and 53.6% (15/28), respectively. The median event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) for patients with ALL were 2 (95% CI 0-9) and 3 (95% CI 0-9) months, respectively, with a median followup of 37 (95% CI 17-57) months. Patients with APL did not reach median EFS or OS, whereas the median EFS and OS for core binding factor AML (CBF-AML) cases were 10 (95% CI 0-21) months and 13 (95% CI 3-23) months, respectively, and patients with non-CBF-AML had inferior median EFS (2 months, 95% CI 1-3) and OS (2 months, 95% CI 1-3) ( P<0.01). Patients with ALL treated from 2020 to 2023 demonstrated trends toward better EFS ( P=0.16) and OS ( P=0.10) than those treated from 2010 to 2019. Similarly, trends toward superior EFS ( P=0.27) and OS ( P=0.12) were observed in patients with AML treated from 2016 to 2023, in comparison with those treated from 2010 to 2015. Conclusion:Progress in the treatment and prognosis of patients with acute leukemia in the plateau has been observed in recent years, which can be further promoted by precision diagnosis and tailored regimens.

Virtual simulation experimental teaching is a major component of nursing education reform in colleges and universities, which makes space-unlimited cyber-learning and self-learning into reality and is helpful in the development of students' critical thinking and clinical nursing decision-making ability. Based on the "5E learning cycle" model, we have set up an experimental teaching system, and constructed a virtual simulation experimental platform of nursing, which comprises basic experimental skills, clinical experimental skills, comprehensive virtual simulation projects and training system of clinical thinking. The platform combines online learning and offline learning, virtual simulation and physical simulation together, and narrowes the gap between theoretical teaching and clinical practice. This platform has promoted the development of nursing skills, clinical thinking and comprehensive abilities for nursing students and been also ready for the design and development of virtual simulation experimental teaching projects in the future.

OBJECTIVETo compare the efficacy between moving cupping at Hechelu combined with rubbing method and western medication for depression of diabetes mellitus (DM).

METHODSTwo hundred and sixteen patients were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 108 cases in each group. Patients in the observation group were treated with moving cupping at Hechelu combined with rubbing method, once every: other day; six treatments were considered as one course, and totally two courses were given with an interval of: 4 days between courses. Patients in the control group were treated with oral administration of fluoxetine hydrochloride capsules, once a day for consecutive 4 weeks. The Hamilton depression scale (HAMD), self-rating depression scale (SDS) and TCM symptom score were measured before treatment, after the treatment and in follow-up visit one and a half months after treatment. The fasting blood glucose was tested before and after treatment. The glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was tested in the follow-up visit.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was 90.9% (90/99) in the observation group, which was superior to 73.7% (70/95) in the control group (P < 0.05). After the treatment, HAMD, SDS and TCM symptom scores were all reduced apparently in the observation group and the control group (all P < 0.05). After the treatment and the follow-up visit, the TCM symptom score in the observation group was lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The levels of HbA1c and GLU were stable in the observation group, and were decreased compared with those before treatment; but the difference between the, two groups was not significant (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe Hechelu theory-based TCM treatment has better: efficacy for depression of diabetes mellitus than fluoxetine hydrochloride capsule, which has less adverse effects.

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Aged ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Depressive Disorder ; etiology ; metabolism ; psychology ; therapy ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; complications ; metabolism ; psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Massage ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome